2014 U18 Video: Kevin Fiala, Switzerland

By Chapin Landvogt

April 25th, 2014

Photo: Switzerland forward and 2014 prospect Kevin Fiala is ranked third among European skaters by Central Scouting for the 2014 NHL Draft, an upward move of eight places from his midterm ranking (courtesy of Chapin Landvogt/HF)

Switzerland brought a team to the 2014 IIHF U18 World Championship that competed hard, but in the end didn't have quite enough talent to carry them beyond the quarterfinals. The Swiss fell to Canada in their playoff contest, 3-2, with Canada scoring the winning goal with just 30 seconds remaining in regulation.

While the Swiss generally live or die on the strength of solid team play, this year's squad sported a trio of players that led Switzerland's offense. One of that trio, forward Kevin Fiala, currently sits third in U18 scoring, behind Swedes William Nylander and Axel Holmstrom.

In five games, Fiala scored four goals and added five assists for nine points while posting a +4 rating. Fiala did pick up an assist against Canada, but was held goalless despite putting four shots on goal.

Fiala competed in Sweden during the 2013-14 season, splitting time between HV71's SuperElit and SHL squads. In 27 games for the junior team, Fiala scored 10 goals and added 15 assists for 25 points. In 17 SHL games, Fiala scored three goals and notched eight assists for 11 points. Fiala's stock for the 2014 NHL Draft has been rising in the season's second half, so his strong performance at the U18 should only enhance his status as a likely first round selection.